From the Darkness
by Krisdaughter of Athena
Summary: The game has changed for everyone and new things will come from the darkness to rock the world. Sequel to I Don't Want You to Forget.
1. Prologue- The Day it All Went Wrong

**Hey guys, sorry this took so long. Two words: No life.  
But I should be able to get on more often now, as after this week (the first week of December) I should have less to do and have more time on my hands.  
This is the sequel to "I Don't Want You to Forget". If you haven't read that, you might want to check that out first, then things will make more sense. Unlike the last, this one is NOT based off a song.  
Without further ado, I present From the Darkness.**

* * *

**Prologue-The Day it All Went Wrong**  
CRASH!

Tron was jerked awake by the sound.

_Of course the one cycle I decide to take a rest...  
_  
His next thought sent his mind flying.

_Intruders!  
_  
It was a silly and slightly paranoid thought, but still he slipped out of the room and down the dark hall. disc in hand. From around the corner, he can see the light in the main room is on and a shadow is stumbling around, causing loud crashes and chaos.

Tightening his grip on the disc, he sent himself around the corner. He tackled the startled figure to the ground roughly and held a disc to the figure's throat. Finally, he looked down at the figure's face to see his young apprentice, eyes wide in surprise and many other emotions.

Beck!

Sighing in relief, Tron got off of Beck and helped him to his feet, "You alright?"

Beck looked between him and the ground, softly mouthing words that Tron did not catch.

"...Beck?" He asked in a gentler tone. The young program could be experiencing the Glitch again.

Beck put his left hand fingertips to his temple and shook his head, "Fine...I..."

Tron waited patiently until Beck looked up again.

"I'm fine."

Tron nodded, "Good." He knew it was lie, but arguing so would only anger the younger program and they were already walking on a tightrope due to the Glitch.

He walked into the energy storage and opened the cabinet when two arms grasped him around his neck. He could barely take a breath before he's slammed into the cabinet wall.

"_Where am I?_" the voice hissed in his ear. "_Tell me!_"

Tron would have easily recognized the scared voice but instinct had taken over, like in the old Monitor days of the Grid. He turned and slammed the form into the wall, and Beck pulled out his disc to fight. Tron grabbed the edge and, ignoring the burn, thrust up.

Beck screamed as the disc hit him in the shoulder, near his neck. He let go of Tron and leaned back against the wall, gripping his arm. The scream snapped Tron out his daze, and he blinked as he refocused.

"Frag!" he hissed and he came close to Beck. As his hand touched his arm, Beck flinched away, his cold yet scared eyes brimming with tears of pain.

"Beck..." he whispered, "_I'm so sorry_."

_He doesn't recognize his own name...  
_  
_He barely remembers to breathe_, he adds in thought as he sees Beck start panting for air, still clutching his barely intact arm.

"Shh..." Tron forced himself to be gentle as he leaned closer. Beck didn't move, but he seemed ready to bolt. Quietly, Tron looked over Beck's arm. Instantly, his promise to Beck's friends comes to mind and the guilt escalated.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..."

In most cases, Tron would pull out his disc to end the young program's misery. But he made a promise, and by the Users he was going to keep it.

So instead, Tron gently pinched Beck's shoulder, sending the young program into sleep. Once certain he wouldn't wake, he picked up Beck and took him to a familiar chamber, one he had rebuilt in emergencies after he was healed. He gently set the program inside, put an oxygen mask on his face, then started it. The chamber began to heal Beck's arm and soothed his Glitch-infected dreams. Sighing, Tron looked down at the board.

_Today_ was the cycle he would rue for ages to come. _Today_ was the day Beck hit bottom. From now on, he was dealing with a program who was consumed by the Glitch.

* * *

**I apologize as I know this is not my best. But you let me know what you think please, it'll help me gain an understanding of what you guys would like to see.**


	2. Chapter 1- A Xilacycle later

**Here's the next chapter! :) Just a promised! **

**Thanks to mach5plus1 and ScarlettNinja for reviewing.**

* * *

**Chapter 1- a Xilacycle later...  
**  
A figure leaped onto the top of a building. Upon further investigation, it is apparent that the figure is wearing a mask and minimal circuitry. The masked head tilted up towards the sky, where the familiar ship of orange sat in a persistent hover.

The program stood and aimed their arm at an angle towards the ship. After a few moments, something flew from their wrist and latched into the dark. The cable jerked and the program flew up towards the end of the line.

They landed quietly in a crouch. After a moment, the program stood in the shadows, a blind spot against security. Upon coming to the corner, the program met two others dressed similarly. They exchanged a nod before starting, the first program and another protecting the smallest.

At the next corner, the first program stopped everyone and touched their ear.

"Talk to me, Vek," the program's voice did not differentiate between a male or female's; it's just humanoid, "are we clear?"

After a couple moments, a static-filled male voice replied, "All is clear, Rend. Keep moving."

The newly dubbed Rend nodded and cut the feed before signaling the other two forward. As they reached the door, they stopped as a soldier neared.

"Go for it Setch." Rend said to their partner. Setch lunges forward and brought down the soldier without a sound. Rend nodded and helped drag the soldier to the door. There they pressed a limp hand up to the scanner. It beeped in approval and the door opened. They tossed the soldier aside and walked in, the smaller program shyly following.

In the middle of the room, a large stand sat with a card of information is injected inside.

"Lets go." Rend said , bringing the younger program forward as the door closed and locked.

The youngest program knelt beside the stand and injected a home-made object into it. Immediately, a large jumble of code appeared, making the program tense in surprise.

"You got this." Setch said in a humanoid voice and the program exhaled, nodded, and set to work. She tapped random pieces of code, switching and removing random numbers.

"Hurry Shawna." Rend said tensely, "General Pavel is bound to find out we're here.

_Yes_, General Pavel. A Xilacycle ago, Tesler was derezzed and after Commander Paige disappeared (probably dead as well)...Pavel became the obvious choice.

"I'm trying." Shawna said, "the code is complicated."

Rend stiffened with crossed arms. Rend had not been sold completely for Shawna, but Setch had a faith that made the others let the young program try.

_Click  
_  
"Got it!" Shawna hissed before turning to the two.

Rend couldn't help but grin. _Impressive._  
"Alright." Setch grabbed it carefully and they left quickly.

They entered the hall to meet a legion if guards. Shawna tensed and Setch gave her the information card before joining Rend in pulling out their discs to fight. The soldiers charged and Rend yelled, "Stay close!" Before disappearing into the fight.

* * *

A couple micros pass by, and they have knocked away a good half. But the soldiers get up again and again, an the two were quickly losing energy. Desperation filled the usually collected Rend.

_Click _

Rend caught the object. A smoke grenade. Grunting, Rend caught threw the object down an the whole area was encased in smoke. Rend knocked down the nearest guards before grabbing Setch and Shawna and pushed them into the nearest vent.

Among the guards exclamations, a new, yet familiar voice screamed, "CHASE! THEM! DOWN!"

Not waiting to see the General, Rend climbed in and closed the vent, making it look like they disappeared into thin air.

* * *

They saw them.

The two figures that were waiting at a corner just blocks away from the throne ship glanced. Then one elbowed the other, causing the second to look up. They both ran up, one moving forward to hug Shawna. "How'd it go?"

Shawna began to answer when Setch cut in. "Not here. Wait 'till we get back."

The three nodded and sank into silence as Setch and Rend led the way back quickly.

* * *

After Rend bolted the door, Shawna and her friends took off their masks.

"How'd we do?" She asked, pink-streaked black fair tussled and dark eyes wide.

"Lets find out." Setch said as Rend wordlessly motioned for the card. Shawna took it off her waist and handed it over. Rend examined it. _It didn't seem counterfeit, so it had to hold something... _

The three held their breath as they watched Rend examine the card.

"You did well." Rend said finally, putting the card down, "But there were still flaws.

"Jude, Damian," Jude, an artist whose hair color matched his wild style, and Damian, a medic who had a hand in diversions and distractions, looked up. "You must pay attention to your surroundings; you could've been caught multiple times if you hadn't had each others back. One of you won't always be there for the other." The two nodded and looked down.

"Shawna." She looked up at her name, "...don't let yourself be caught off guard with certain codes. Keeping a level head will help you. But you, all three of you passed."

Immediately, the younger faces programs faces went from serious to joyful. Jude let out a whoop, Shawna fistpumped, and even Damian, the quietest of the trio, gave a smile of success . Shawna pulled the two into the light in a hug. Jude's hair colors became more noticeable and Damian's dark skin, had a shine from sweat and light.

Setch made a low, wistful sound and Rend looked over. Setch made the gesture for 'I'm fine', and Rend looked back.

"You did well." The trio broke apart as Rend spoke again, "but you still have much to learn. Report back here in three cycles time, if not sooner." Rend began to leave.

"Wait!" Shawna called, and Rend stopped.

Shawna hesitated, the asked, "What if you need us before that?"

Rend raises their chin, "I'll find you."

And before the trio knew, Rend and Setch were gone.

* * *

A figure sat at a table, examining the holoscreens all around him. He looked up as he heard clicks an female voices.

"Why can't they stay?"

"They have homes."

"It's more like you don't trust them."

"I never said that."

"But I know_"

"Hey guys." The man cut over the accusing voice in order to not start a fight. _Not now_, he thought As he kept his eyes on the screens.

"Hey," the first said, thankful for the bailout, "brought you something."

She moved forward and set the card on the table next to his elbow. The man picked it up and injected it in the slot. Immediately, the information flashed onto the main screen.

"This is it." The woman muttered, "Bring up more."

The man grinned, "What's the magic word?"

"Frag it Vek, _please_."

Vek's face soured but he turned back. He didn't like his codename, but it was better than yelling his _real_ name while Jude, Damian, and Shawna were around.

"According to this, a ship will come through in 4 Mylacycles, holding the remaining formula. If we can get that..."

"_We'll have the formula for a cure." Setch finished for Rend.

Vek sighed, "If he's not already gone."

"He_ will_ be alive, Zed." Setch said forcefully as Rend tensed, "He'll be alive with you-know-who."

"We don't know that."

"You're both right." Rend said before looking up, obviously upset.

"Zed, Mara, thank you for joining me in this. If allowed by...whatever's out beyond, we will find Beck and return him to the program we knew." Paige finished, tensing as her determination returned.

* * *

** I'm just going to leave it at that. Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2- (title is too long)

**Thanks for the guest review!**

**Chapter 2- Questions, Assemblies, and other complicated things**

_A few cycles later…_

Paige sat in Zed's chair, her back to the table as she faced the wall opposite. Zed and Mara were at work, but she couldn't leave, could she?

After all, everyone thought she was dead, and it would cause a massive blow-over to their mission if any program even just _thought_ they saw her face in a crowd.

_So this is what Tron… _her thoughts stopped as the range of emotions hit her at that name. She was angry, almost hated him, for lying about everything she had known about the Occupation, him and Beck.

_And yet… _she would've done what he did to protect his successor. She remembered sitting next to him, not knowing who he was, and seeing his hands tremble in restrained emotion at the state of Beck's disc.

_And now…_

Did knowing who he was change any thoughts about the realness of his response? She didn't know any time to further ponder this as she heard voices. Flipping on her mask, she walked over to the balcony to see the young trio walking close together, obviously looking for her or Mara.

Grinning slightly, she vaulted over the edge and landed smoothly and soundlessly on the ground. She came out of the shadows behind them.

"You're earlier than I thought you would be."

All three jumped and turned as she crossed her arms. Shawna coughed and spoke, "We got off early."

"Any reason?"

Jude shrugged, "Some assembly. We were able to slip away."

"Probably Pavel smearing Commander Paige's name. _Again._"

Paige, who had been pulling down the punching bag, turned to Damian, "What do you mean?"

Damian seemed surprised at the fact that Rend didn't know something concerning Argon. He covered it up and continued, "In a lot of his speeches, Pavel makes veiled insults against the commander, though sometimes he flat out degrades her, claiming she committed treason against the Occupation and killed herself, or something like that."

Paige didn't say anything as she finished setting up the punching bag she had pulled out.

"What do you think of that, Rend?" Shawna asked finally.

Paige was silent for a moment before speaking, "That doesn't sound like the commander Paige I had known or heard about. She was too loyal to betray the Occupation. She had told the Renegade so many times."

"How do you know that?"

_Crap._

Paige's thoughts froze for a second, but she covered it up by throwing a punch at the bag before saying, "I used to work with him and he told me these things."

_Yes, a lie, but I left that part of me when__

"Do you think the Renegade was Tron?"

She stopped, "…I don't know. I guess in some ways he was. But he never showed me his face."

"Sounds like you can relate." Jude said dryly.

Paige stopped and turned to him, Jude's face saying he regretted the line he just crossed.

But instead of yelling, she decided to say calmly, "I know you don't realize this, but we all have something to protect, whether it be a reputation…or the peace of those you love. Masks are insurance, a protection. The Occupation…and others would not hesitate to tear that something apart if they found out who you are."

The three went deadly silent.

"That's why."

"Oh." Jude said quietly, then Shawna added as Paige sat down next to them:

"Wait, are you saying the Renegade had that Something?"

_I know he did. _She thought as she looked down.

She bit her lip as she remembered that cycle, when he had held her in his embrace, and they cried together…

"…Rend?"

She looked up to meet Damian's concerned yet calculating gaze.

"…I'm sure he did."

After a moment, she stood, "Let's move on. We need to work on your fighting technique. Show me what you can do."

The three exchanged a grin at the challenge.

* * *

A Petrocycle later though, their smiles had been long off their faces and they groaned in pain.

Paige, however, was smiling. Laughing, even.

"Why don't we try that again?"

She sets up to show them the move again, when there is a long, loud sound at the door. Paige tilts her head before pursing her lips and returning the sound, though it's clipped.

There are two _clicks_, then Zed and Mara enter, masks on.

The young trio's faces are in awe and questioning of the two. Zed and Mara ignore them, "We need to talk to you. Alone."

Paige turned and looked at the three before returning to them. "Alright. Vek, stay here with them. I'll talk with Setch."

Zed nodded and Paige and Mara went up stairs to Zed's work room.

"What is it?" Paige asked as she closed the door.

"You were mentioned in the assembly today."

Paige let her mask off and rolled her eyes, "So I hear. Damian said I'm mentioned at every assembly."

"Not like that. He was talking about our mission a couple cycles ago."

"And?"

"He's putting two and two together." Setch said as Paige busied herself with Zed's files, "He's announced you're not dead!"

Paige set the pile in her hand roughly on the desk. She looked up at Mara, "what?"

"He's told everyone you're alive. He hasn't confirmed it yet, but he says it's possible you have connections with…"

Paige nodded, biting her lip in thought.

"It's probably best you stop going on missions."

"No!" Paige snapped, "I'm not giving up."

"I'm not saying you are done, just_"

"This is all I have left. You're not going to take it from me!"

"But what about_"

"If it happens, it happens. I have nothing left to lose."

Mara seemed like she disagreed, "Not true." she muttered.

"What?'

"Doesn't matter. It's settled then. Things stay as they are. I'll tell Zed."

Paige nodded as Mara left.

_You idiot! _Paige kicked herself, _You shouldn't be angry at her; you need her._

_But still…_

She shook her head and put on her mask and walked out.

Back in the main room, Zed and Shawna broke a conversation as Setch came up. Shawna walked off as Rend came back in.

"What'd she say?" Zed asked quietly.

Mara shook her head, "Not gonna happen."

Zed frowned at that.

"She's too far in."

"I know." he said quietly.

They watched her fix Damian's stance.

"We did start this all together. I would be unfair if we tried to hold her back." Zed said finally.

"Hey guys!" they both turned to Paige's call.

"Mind giving me a hand?"

They exchanged a look and Mara finally gave a small smile before they joined her.

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**Not my best piece of work…but let me know what you think.**


	4. Chapter 3- Plans and Phases

**Chapter 3- Plans and Phases**

**Thank you for reviewing, mach5plus1, TronTigerElectus, for reviewing. I'd also like to thank the guest who did so and address their comment:**

**I put in that last chapter to convey some of the bitter thoughts that had been running in and out of Zed, Mara, and Paige's minds. Paige in the fact that Tron took her boyfriend away, Zed and Mara the same (in a friendship matter) but also their worry about Paige as she seems to become consumed by her dedication. I feel that is important to know.**

**Anyways, onto the story!**

* * *

Tron stood at his hologram screen. His eyebrows furrowed as he viewed the code in front of him.

_As of three cycles ago, five programs put together the heist and stole something from the Occupation…but what was it?_

So, he used the inactive feeds to make his way into the Occupation. Easy enough.

Something caught his eye. He quickly pulled it up and dissected it until her found out what it was.

_An information cube…._

Quickly, he pulled it up and began sifting through what was supposedly the contents. His eyes widened at the sight.

_Either they're just nailing random things to aggravate the Occupation or…._

Tron glanced back to the other room. _Beck's still sleeping…._

He looked back to the information. According to it, he had roughly 3 Mylacycles before it arrived.

Closing the tab, he straightened and headed towards the simulator.

_I better prepare._

_Who knows what I may face?_

"Is that it?"

Paige looked up at Damian as he pulled up the code for the ship. She nodded and turned back to her work, "Yep."

Jude crossed his arms, "I don't get it. Why are we doing all this planning for some ship?"

"It's not just any ship." Zed said, his voice distorted by the mask, "That ship holds the final piece of phase one."

"…Phase one?"

Zed grew excited, "We've been working on a certain concotion for sometime now. On that ship is the rest of the f_"

Zed squawked in pain as Mara elbowed him, "Enough."

But the trio's attention is caught and they whisper to each other with wide eyes.

"What do you plan on doing after that?" Shawna asked.

Paige sighed, and looked up, "There's this….program we need to find. If we can track him down, we can hand off the concoction."

"Then what?"

"…Not important." To be honest, Paige hadn't really thought what they as a group would do after they finished their mission, one they started seemingly ages ago…

"…Rend?"

She looked up to Mara, who was watching her carefully. Shaking her head, she continued.

"But before we can do that…we need to prepare for the time ahead, especially for phase two."

"Well where would we need to get all that?"

Paige nodded to Zed. He took charge of the hologram, twisting it around until it showed a map.

"Word has it that a new shipment is coming in that is supposed to track down us _rebels_." Zed rolled his eyes before continuing, "If we get it in the next two cycles, we can make sure that not only won't happen, but we'll be able to find our program."

_Hopefully_ the three thought in unison as the lights came back on and they set to work.

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**Sorry this is really short. I promise they will get longer!**


	5. Chapter 4- Downhill Dive

**Chapter 4-Downhill Dive**

**Here is the next chapter! But while I am here, I need to address something.**

**To the guests, Guest, Suger, and Candy, who happened to review on my crossovers and urged me to work on this story and Gangland, can I just say that was kind of rude? I did not take well to those reviews on my other stories, no matter how flattering it is to know you want more of these stories. Next time, I ask that you either PM me (if you have an account) or you just leave a review on the story you want updated. I would be more considerate of your reviews if you did that.**

* * *

_"Alright we need to move quickly. Split up and meet back at base later. And don't let yourself be seen, _especially, _without your mask." _

This had been moments ago, and now Paige was leading Shawna around the corner. Mara was with Jude and Damian on the opposite side of the ship, to help spread out the Occupation's forces. Zed worked back at the base. Not only did he prefer it there, but it was easier to hack into the mainframe when he was _not _teetering on the edge of a building. From where he was, he could open any door on the base and quickly gain access into any landing crafts.

Which is _exactly _what they needed him to do.

"Ready?" she asked Shawna, who gave her a tight nod, her face nervous under her mask.

Paige poked her head around the corner to see the hall was empty.

"Where now?" She asked Zed through her comm.

_"Go around the corner for a couple more micros. Then turn left."_

She causally walked for as long as he directed, then turned left down a hidden hallway. She had known not to argue with; he could see more than she could.

The next hallway was empty as well. So far, they weren't approaching any problems. That was good.

_"Third door on your right."_

She stopped and turned to her right. There was the door.

_That was easy enough._

"Any triggers on the door?"

There was a silence as she heard him work.

_"You're clear."_

The door opened before her and she put Shawna in front of her as they entered.

The room was dark and large. Red and green light specked the wall occasionally. Their circuits, though few, lit the way up the wall.

_"There. The wall."_

"What about it?"

"_The technology is contained in the wall, and the keycode is 2587257_."

She typed in the code on the keypad on the wall and after a moment, a piece of the wall pushed out. Carefully, Paige opened the top to see a small object within. She put her hand in to grab it.

"REND LOOK OUT!"

She went to turn when she felt the arm grip tightly around her neck.

_Frag._

"Drop it, and the other program isn't hurt."

She couldn't turn her head but she heard the hum of a disc, combined with Shawna's pants and could guess the situation. However, she kept a tight grip on the box.

_"Setch and the other will be at your location in about a micro."_

"Last chance, program."

_There's not enough time!_

"Always gotta do things the hard way, huh?"

Before the guard could say anything, she let go of the box and elbowed him in the gut. _Hard. _He gasped and his grip loosened enough for her to grab his arm and flip him over her shoulder and into the wall. She then turned to the other guard

He let go of Shawna and lunged.

_An elite guard._

She should've known by his circuits and should've known not to take him without actually thinking it through. He lunged from the air and spinned, kicking her in the face. She stumbled back, stunned, and the guard landed in a crouch not far away. Shaking her head, she pulled off her disc and he copied her. She lunged at him but he stayed in his crouch and his palms made contact with her stomach. He used her momentum to throw her over to where she hit the ground roughly. She winced and twisted to dodge a hit from the guard. She scooted out and stood quickly and kicked him. His head snapped to the side but his hand snatched her ankle and twisted with all the force he could. She spun and hit the ground. In his blind rage, he grabbed her by the shoulder tightly and slammed her back into the wall. She broke his grip and punched him. He stumbled back and she slipped through. She relaxed as he struggled to recover.

Big mistake.

The other guard was able to tackle her into a tight grip, one arm around her arms and the other around her neck again. She gritted her teeth and struggled to pull out of the grip, but it was tight and her strength was fading.

The elite guard stumbled to his feet, shaking his head. He shambled up to her, breathing heavily. Wordlessly, he leaned forward and his finger went up the back of her neck. It was a weird feeling that made her fight harder against the grip. But it was useless; he found the switch and with a simple touch, her helmet came off to show her tired, but familiar face.

She felt the guard holding her tense, "It's_"

The elite guard nodded and put his hand to his ear, "This is guard 45-1. Inform the general he was correct. It's her."

The guard holding her was starting to choke her. She grabbed his arm with both her hands but it was useless by now. Shawna must've ran when she had the chance. She didn't know when Mara and the others would get there. Perhaps too late...and the thought struck fear in her.

But there was nothing she could do. Her strength was beginning to leave her and his hold was making her vision begin to go dark...

"WHAT THE_?"

SMACK

The guard dropped her suddenly and she collapsed, coughing as she took deep breaths. She heard a THUNK behind her and then Shawna leapt over her, a large staff in hand. She swung as hard as she could at the guard. She hit her mark; he fell to the ground where she gave a couple more good swings until she was sure she was unconscious. Once certain, she abandoned the staff and ran over to Paige, who was beginning to recover.

Shawna stopped kneeling when Paige held a hand up to stop her.

"I'm good." She said, taking a gulp of air before standing and replacing her mask.

Shawna's eyes were wide.

"You're...You're..."

"Don't tell anyone what you saw." Paige said coldly, walking past her to the box.

She must have nodded, but Paige wasn't watching, "Of course."

Paige took the small object out of the box but turned quickly as she heard footsteps. Mara, Jude, and Damian finally showed up, the latter two panting.

"Is everyone alright?" Mara asked, her stature giving away her worry.

"Yeah," Paige shook the remaining effects, "We're good."

Shawna said nothing and Paige was glad she was already keeping her word.

Mara sighed, "Oh. Good. Because we need to move."

Paige nodded, "Come on."

Shawna followed her out as she followed the three other programs down the hall.

"HALT!"

Paige stopped and turned to see Pavel on the opposite end of the hall. He stopped, and she immediately knew he recognized her.

"Move!" She urged Damian, who was falling behind. He nodded and caught up with the others. She turned and gave one last look before following.

All throughout the base, the alarms began to go off, but few guards appeared and were quickly taken care of. Now, they were on the dock. All of them were equipped with jet batons, so as soon as Paige yelled at them to go, they obeyed. She turned back to see only the unconscious programs behind her and she was glad that was her last look before she jumped off into the sky after them. From there, she transformed her baton into a jet and took flight.

What none of them noticed was the figure in the shadows. He wore nothing except black, and a mask of equal color over his face. He watched them go, before disappearing into the shadows.


	6. Chapter 5-Crash and Burn

**Chapter 5- Crash and Burn**

_This is it._

_The home stretch._

Paige landed quietly and heard the three younger programs follow her and Mara. This was the only time they would stay together as a group the whole time. It was all according to plan.

"_Visual is up. Signal set. Clear to go."_

"Thanks Vek."

Zed had set up nearby at their rendezvous point. For the first time, he would be leaving base and coming on the field.

The ship that held the remaining formula was small and simple. But that made it stick out among the orange and complex air vehicles that usually roamed the skies.

_What an easy target. They practically painted it on themselves with that carrier. _

And with such low tech as well, compared to what they're used to. Paige was able to open the ventilation easily and no alarm went off. Nothing. She rushed everyone through, regardless of the lack of security, though. There was an ominous feeling in her gut that something_unknown to what exactly_ would happen.

She just hoped it wasn't anything that would spoil their mission.

They all moved quickly through the ventilation until Mara stopped in front of one vent.

"This is it."

Carefully, she popped off the vent and placed it in front of her on the other side of the opening before dropping through the rope and finally slipping through the opening.

"How's it looking down there guys?" Paige asked.

"_All clear. I think I see the safe."_

"Like instructed. Shawna, you're on."

Shawna nodded, not meeting Paige's gaze and slipped down.

Paige bit back a sigh. Ever since the last mission, Shawna had been avoiding Paige almost with a passion. She refused to be alone with her and almost said nothing to Paige, let alone having looked at her.

If she had been more careful….

"_We're in." _Mara said, breaking Paige from her thoughts.

"Good." She switched to Zed's line. "How's everything looking?"

"_Going smoothly. Within the next few minutes, we should_"_

He broke off suddenly with a loud CLANG.

"Vek?"

His line is silent for a moment before he came back, panting very loudly in the mic.

"_N-No! Get back!"_

"Vek! What's going on?"

There's a rustling on the other side of the line and a THUNK. Vek cried out before the line went to static.

_No…_

"Setch?"

"_I heard it._"

"Get out of there. Now. Vek's compromised."

Mara rushed to fix the box onto Shawna's back like a bag before sending the younger program up before her. Jude helped Shawna up and Paige began turning back.

"Come on!"

"What's going on?" Shawna said breathlessly.

"Vek's been captured." Damian said back to her, and she quietly gasped. Paige continued on and slipped back out of the vent quickly. She landed on her knees and quickly got to her feet, watching them crawl out.

"Everyone alright?"

No one answered, but Mara pointed beyond Paige. Quickly she turned to see a masked program in Occupation circuits, wearing elite guard armor.

Immediately, Paige took off her disc and Mara joined her in front of the younger programs.

"That must be the program who got Vek." She stated, and the guard proved himself by wordlessly tossing Zed's datapad aside.

This made Mara rush forward in rage with a cry.

"Wait!"

But it was too late.

The guard thrust forward and she cried out in pain as she flew off to the side, a small injection sticking out of her side.

Paige glanced to the limp Mara and back to the guard as he slowly advanced. His head tilted as he sized her up. She wondered if he could tell who she was through the mask, or if he had not been given that information.

It didn't matter, though. He was still a threat. She broadened her stance, "Stay behind me."

The guard lunged and Paige returned her disc before catching him on the chest with her palms. She used her weight and his momentum to send him flying over her and off to the side. She turned to him as he got back to his feet and pulled out his disc. She retrieved her own in time to block a swing at her face. The force that remained as they pushed against each other sent off sparks. After another effort of strength, Paige managed to push away his disc and swung again. He dodged by stepping back and she continued to swing. But she left herself outstretched and he slammed his elbow into the crook of her arm, hard enough to cause it to bend on instinct. He grabbed her disc hand by the wrist, making her drop it. She gasped at that and the sudden pain of something stinging her other shoulder. Her head turned slightly to see an injection sticking out.

He noticed the distraction and threw her over next to Mara, where she grunted as she landed roughly.

Her vision was coming in and out of focus and her panting was loud in her ears. Her arms trembled as she pushed herself to see Mara was indeed unconscious, her mask having come off to show so.

_The injection…it must lower all the defenses…._

Her loose thought is interrupted as she had looked up to see the guard advancing on Jude, Damian, and Shawna.

_No…_

She turned to see her disc just a small amount away. Grunting, she slowly pulled herself across the ground, closer and closer to her barely lit disc. Her fingers brushed the edge and she gripped it. Her body protested as she shakily got to her feet and panting, aimed her disc at the back of his head, trying to steady her arm enough to throw it.

Their stares must have notified him, because he suddenly turned and she gasped as two more flew from his hand into the base of her neck and chest. Time seemed to slow as she began to fall, only catching back up when her back roughly hit the ground. Her head tilted to the side, where the guard covered the trio. She exhaled shakily and tried to sit up, but her body wouldn't cooperate; too immobile to. All she could feel was her breath shallowly coming in and out with little avail. Her eyes, against her will, drifted to a close and her mask fell away as her head rested limply on the ground in no sense of consciousness.


	7. Chapter 6- Adagio

**Chapter 6- Adagio**

**Hello.**

**It's me.**

**Okay, enough quoting of Adele for now. I'm sorry I've been away a while. I had marching band competition, jazz band auditions, and a theatre show I participated in. So, I thought I'd make a large chapter for today. Though you may not like me by the end. Whether you do or not, please let me know what you think.**

* * *

The sudden exposure of bright light made her cringe, biting back a groan. She instantly glanced to either side of her as she heard groans, to see Zed's gaunt face and Mara's alert eyes. All three were hanging, wrists tied, feet dangling just beyond reach. Breathing through clenched teeth, she looked into the light, trying to track where exactly it began_

She looked back down at the echo of footsteps and a figure molded from the darkness.

"So. You are the three minds behind these…._raids_."

None of them answered to this, but the program was burned into by three glares. He didn't seem to care, though, as he continued in his gravel-like voice.

But Paige had stopped listening. She glanced to either side of her.

_I will find a way out of this. All six of us will__

_ Wait._

Her entire form tensed and her processor near froze in fear.

_Where are the other three?_

"Where are they?"

The program stopped speaking, looking to her in her outburst. is head gave a slight tilt and she imagine them forming their next words carefully.

_"…Who?"_

"You know exactly who I'm talking about." She said testily, fists clenched, cuffs biting into her wrists. "Where are the three other programs that had been with us?"

They said nothing and her eyes narrowed.

"If you so much as hurt them, I will personally ri_"

"You will _what_?" The familiar female voice echoed and the trio came from the shadows. Damian wouldn't meet the gazes of any of the others. Jude's fists were clenched at his sides, and Shawna had her arms crossed, glaring directly at Paige.

"Well?" The demand made Paige refocus to narrow her eyes.

"Well what?"

"When were you going to tell us? We thought you were on our side, all of you!"

"I_"

"We_"

"It's not like that_"

"SHUT UP!" Shawna roared, making Paige, Mara, and Zed's protests go silent. She was panting, holding back tears.

"You've lied to us. We thought you were here to help us, but you lied! You're not one of us at all. Not one of you."

Her eyes lost the glassiness of tears and turned cold in rage. "And since we have the formula_" Paige's eyes widened as she remembered that they had latched it onto Shawna's back.

"_then we don't have to rely on you for anything anymore!"

She pulled off her disc, and the program stiffened behind them, but otherwise didn't move.

"You can't do this!" Mara cried breathlessly, "You won't get out of here alive!"

Shawna didn't react at first, gripping her disc.

Then…her eye gave the tiniest wink.

_Oh…._

"We'll manage." She pulled her disc back to throw. "NOW!"

Damian and Jude lunged at the program as the disc left Shawna's hand and cut through the three ropes. Paige landed in a crouch, hands still cuffed together, and looked to Zed and Mara on either side of her. They barely met gaze before she and Mara surged forward, Zed falling behind them. Damian and Jude are knocked back by the program, but they only turned to barely miss Paige's combined fists. She swings again but they knock hers away. He ducks and Zed's thrown off balance as had swung out too far. The program crouched low and swung out, taking Zed's feet out from under him. He grunted as he fell with a THUD.

The program easily forgot about him and turned to face the others. They pulled off their disc and began forward when something clamped around their ankle and pulled them down. They turned to see Zed had grabbed their ankle and on instinct, they kicked out and scrambled away from Zed as he reeled back. They had barely gotten to their knees when the chain pulled them back by the neck. A choked cry came out and they scuttled back into the wall, slamming the former commander hard into the wall. She let out a gasp and her grip loosened and they slipped out. They turned to a crouch, still gripping their disc tight and facing every program. They panted hard; they had not this much to go against since_

Wait.

Where was Mara?

They figured out the answer to this question too late as a force came down on their back and the weight forced them to be pinned down to the floor. The disc clattered out of their grip and out of reach as they were turned over, a disc at their neck. They looked up to the six programs above them, Mara holding the disc to their neck.

"I'm only going to ask once." Paige started, seething, "How do we get out of here?"

They didn't answer, especially not when Paige nodded to Mara, who then pushed the disc closer to their neck.

"I will not be patient." She continued, eyes narrowing.

"Oh I don't doubt it." They finally said, "And I must say what just happened was impressive. Slower than I expected but still, impressive."

"Cut the flattery." She pressed as the others exchanged looks.

They tilted their head, "Of course. After all, you have the formula, as I hear. And I know we both are desperate for this formula, and for the same reason. For…Beck."

She stopped, features unwillingly softening at the name. Mara stopped too, and Zed's eyes squinted in confusion.

"Uh…who?" Jude remarked, but it went ignored as the three that knew exchanged a long look.

"…Are you…" Mara started.

The program nodded and Mara backed away enough for them to get to their feet. The glass mask came off and the hard blue eyes cut into each of them in a mysterious fashion.

"Tron…" Zed murmured. The young trio's eyes widened in awe.

"Yes." Tron nodded. "I've been looking for you three."

"I see that." Paige said, obviously not thrilled to see him, "But was all that necessary?"

"I had a hunch the raids on the Occupation ships were being done by the three of you, but it wouldn't have been wise to talk about these matters in Argon."

"So we've got the formula, now what?" She crossed her arms, "We've got to find him, wherever he is. If he's still alive."

Tron looked up to the ceiling as the darkness disappeared and they were left in a bright room as a soft noise got his attention.

"He's still alive." He said finally, eyes flicking to Paige as she slightly relaxed, but turned away from her, "We can go see him."

He had started towards the exit when Mara called to him.

"How is he?"

Tron didn't look back, "Wait and see." Before he led them out and down the corridor.

* * *

He led them farther and farther down the corridor until he came to a large doorway where a light pushed through into the dark hall. He said nothing as he entered, and after an exchanged glance, the six followed.

Within the center of the room was a large…chamber. It was filled with a liquid transparent enough to see a shape within, one who seemed to be moving if only slightly….

When Tron came to a stop in front of the chamber, he watched it for a short moment. When the moment passed, he reached forward with both arms. They went within the chamber and the six watched from behind as his hands grasped around the figure and pulled them out. He held the figure close, and gently set their feet on the ground. However, the great warrior went down to his knees as the program's legs crumpled, their pale fingers digging into his shoulders. He didn't seem to mind, but rather held the program close, whispering soft words into their ear and rocked slightly. He did so until the trembling of the program ceased and their grip lessened. The program hid their face in the System Warrior's shoulder.

"We've got company." Tron whispered softly but audibly into the program's ear. "Can you stand?"

The program nodded and after a few minutes, Tron gripped the program and stood, making sure they were stable. Russet eyes peaked over Tron's shoulder and Paige's core skipped a beat, causing her circuits to flicker once.

As Tron turned to face the group, Beck's hand instantly latched onto his mentor's in what seemed to be a death-grip. Tron didn't seem to mind, but spoke gently.

"They aren't going to hurt you. I promise."

His fearful eyes flicked to Tron once uncertainly but then looked back to them.

"Everyone, this is Beck. Beck, can you say hi?"

Beck opened his mouth, but changed his mind quickly. He audibly swallowed as his eyes flicked between each of them, and his friends were disappointed that they did not stray longer than a moment on either of them, not showing even a glint of recognition. He then settled for a cautious nod.

"…Hello." Paige said finally, causing Beck's gaze to turn to her in a flash of fear, before settling into wariness. The whole sight caused her shoulders to slump, but she quickly amended the mistake by straightening out again.

When Tron realized the air was growing awkwardly bitter, he turned to Beck again.

"Why don't you show them your room?"

When after a moment, Beck nodded, he squeezed his mentor's hand and Tron led the way.

A little ways down was a small, plain door. Tron easily opened it, and within was a small bed, a table with an odd sort of chair, and a shelf in the corner. So empty and devoid of anything personal for the amnesiac program….Paige looked away from the scene and crossed her arms, biting the inside of her cheek as pressure built behind her eyes.

Beck, however, had already completely forgotten about them. He let go of Tron's hand and headed towards the shelf. There, he reached up on the tips of his toes and managed to bring down a small box. He turned to Tron, who nodded at the sight.

"You want to use it?"

Beck looked at the box once before nodding.

"Alright. May I see it?"

He wordlessly handed it over and Tron easily opened it onto the small table near the chair.

"There you go."

Beck grinned, a soft, childish grin, before he sat down on the small and comfy chair and began to rift through the pieces.

"Tron." The warrior looked up to Paige's crossed arms but fragile gaze.

"May I…be alone with him?"

Tron looked to her before quietly nodding and gesturing for the others to follow him out. She pretended not to hear the young trio begin their onslaught of endless questions about him and Beck and everything else before the door quietly shut. Closing her eyes, she took a stuttering breath in. Exhaling, she opened her eyes again, and quietly started towards the table.

Beck looked up at the sound of footsteps, and stopped in the middle of his game to look up at her with wide eyes of fear and yet…curiosity.

"Mind if I…join you?"

He stared blankly up at her for a moment more before nodding and returning to his game. She got her knees across from him at the table.

"What are you playing?"

He barely glanced up to her, eyes glancing down to the game before returning to it again.

"Mind if I help?"

He didn't look up this time, but nodded. She glanced over the entire set, before joining him.

She hadn't played this in a while. She was a medic the last time she had put together a puzzle. She picked up a piece and laid it carefully in one spot, before Beck picked it up and wordlessly moved it to another spot, where it fit. Perhaps this was something he did often, played with the puzzle, as he had little trouble fitting pieces. Picking up another, she set to helping him.

After some time, she noticed he had withdrawn some time before, and she looked up to see he had turned away, and his circuits gave a steady flicker as his form rose and fell.

By this point, she had finished the puzzle to the best of her abilities. It seemed a piece was missing, right in the middle of the piece. But it was forgotten now, as Beck shifted in his rest to show his peaceful face. She abandoned the game and went around the table to sit in front of him. He didn't stir, and still didn't when she gently traced the shape of his cheek with her thumb.

Her Beck. _Her _Beck, brought to this condition. Because he was too much of a threat. A renegade who had gotten too reckless.

_It's his fault. _

She withdrew her hand for a moment.

_He started this fight._

She looked down.

_It's Tron's fault! He let this happen. He let Beck keep going even when it became too dangerous._

She reached out to him again, but stopped herself as every memory she had ever had of him flooded back in. His smile, his sincerity, his passion, and in the last cycles of remembrance, pain.

_And…and it's my fault._

Her hand went to her eye as a tear slipped out past her guard and down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away but her thoughts echoed on.

_It's my fault._

_ I couldn't stop the Occupation from hurting him._

_I couldn't save him while he was here with us. _

Sniffing, she pushed away more tears as they continued to fall, her hand beginning to tremble.

A hand on her shoulder made her look up to the face of Tron, unusually gentle.

"Why don't you rest? It's been a long cycle…for all of us."

Nodding, she looked down, wiping away final tears before getting to her feet. She didn't meet Tron's gaze as she passed him. She was in the doorway and turned back to see him put the puzzle pieces in the box and the shelf before his arms wrapped around Beck. He picked up his apprentice, carrying him across the room. He pushed back the sheets on the bed and set Beck down. She watched as he gripped the edges of the sheets and brought them up to Beck's chest. He gently ran a hand through Beck's hair and his façade fell into weariness as the young program didn't stir.

He looked up as he heard footsteps, and turned to see no one. And that was true. For Paige had already started down the hallway, biting hard at the inside of her cheek and walking fast, hoping to escape this sad dream if she went fast enough into the darkness.

* * *

**I'm sorry. Please let me know what you think.**

**-Kris**


	8. Chapter 7- Acrylics

**Chapter 7- Acrylics**

As the next cycle began, Zed and Mara left to return to the city.

"We'll come back as possible." Zed promised to Paige, who merely nodded in return. Mara noticed the unusual solemness in her friend's silence with a slight frown. Paige looked up at the touch to meet Mara's steady gaze.

"There's still hope." She reminded the ex-commander, who after a moment of silence nodded and looked away. Mara didn't try to force a conversation; she merely let her hand withdraw from Paige's shoulder as she and Zed left.

The trio followed some time later. Paige had moved from the window and was repairing Zed's tech, which had been damaged in his fall. She had looked up at the sound of footsteps to see the three staring down to her, their gazes perhaps pitying. Nothing was said in the exchange, and finally, the three turned away, and she heard the door close behind them.

For the longest time, she was left alone. And she was okay with this. Her thoughts could finally gain some linear meaning.

Beck…she knew Tron had taken him away because his memory loss had gotten so bad, but what happened to his voice? Did that come with the glitch or…?

Did something else happen?

Or, better question, did this thing happen because of _Tron_?

She placed Zed's now-fixed screen to the side and got to her feet. Tron had to be around here somewhere…

She started down the hallway, which was dark from the lack of activity. The lights turned on to a dim enough level to where she could see what was in front of her. As she passed each door, she peeked in to see nothing and no one. When she reached the end of the corridor, she frowned at her lack of success.

Where could he have gone?

She turned to return to the main room, to wait for the program to return from wherever he had gone, and she gasped loudly as she nearly ran into another program. Beck backed up slightly at her reaction, his eyes wary.

_Oh. Beck. _

"Oh sorry." She breathed, regaining her composure, "You surprised me. I thought you were asleep."

He shrugged, but tilted his head in a question.

"I was looking for Tron, but it doesn't seem he's here at the moment. Excuse me."

He moved from the center of the hallway as she passed. She heard him follow her back into the main room, but didn't turn to question why. Rather, she picked up another piece of Zed's tech- his headset- and her eyes examined the exterior for repairs. She didn't look up from her work as he sat next to her.

She glanced up as his hand slipped past and she watched him look down to Zed's tablet. He touched the screen and it sprang to life. She stopped in her work to watch him examine the hologram of the ship they had raided just the cycle before, frowning. He swiped left to show Mara's image on the screen instead of a hologram, along with the status of her comm. (INACTIVE).

When Beck didn't look to her, she returned to the headset. The mic needed adjustment, but that was simple enough.

"It's you."

She jumped, nearly dropping the headset, and her head snapped up to Beck. He was looking at her, but she followed his pointed finger to the image on the screen. At the sight, her shoulders slumped, but she nodded patiently nevertheless.

"Yes, that's me."

He looked to it again, and looked at the name at the bottom.

"P….Paige." The word was drawn out, as if he had to concentrate on reading the name.

"Yes."

He looked back up to her, "That's your name?"

"Yes."

He gave a small nod, and returned to the screen.

"She seems familiar."

Paige glanced over to see he had returned to Mara's image, and his eyes bore into the image, as if picking out an answer to an unspoken question.

"I work with her. You met her last cycle."

"I did?"

She set down the headset and turned her body to Beck. She was certain he had met them the previous cycle, even if he didn't say a word. "Yes, Beck, you did."  
"Who's Beck? Who's_"

His body went taut and the screen clattered to the ground. His hands gripped his temples as he cried out, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hey hey hey." She got to her knees and set a hand on his shoulder.

_Bit brain! You just had to confuse him…_

"Don't worry about it." She soothed as he rocked slightly, still cradling his head. "Don't worry about any of it, okay? It's not a big deal."

He didn't reply.

"Deep breath, okay? Breathe in…"

He obeyed, eyes still shut.

"Breathe out." She continued after a moment, and his air left him in a quick rush.

"Again. Breathe in."

She continued this until he opened his eyes again. He pulled his legs up to his chest and held them close, looking down.

"I'm sorry about the screen." He muttered after a moment, his voice muffled as he hid his face in his lap.

She picked it off the floor, "Don't worry about it. How are you doing?"

He shrugged, but didn't give a verbal answer.

"Let's do something else, alright? What do you want to do?"

He shrugged again, not able to meet her gaze.

She frowned, setting down the screen next to her. In its place, she grabbed a baton. She knew that this bike had been malfunctioning lately…

_I wonder…._

She turned back to Beck, holding the baton in plain view.

"You want to come help me fix this? I have a feeling you'll like it."

He glanced to her, then lifted his head for a second look at the baton. He stared at it for a long moment, before looking up to her. She made sure to keep her shoulders relaxed, posture calm and to keep a smile to not scare him.

It worked; he nodded quickly and let his legs go.

She got off the seat, glancing back to him. "Come on."

He hesitated for a second, then he stood and followed.

She managed to find the garage, and took it to the empty lift in the corner. Once activated, the lift raised so both she and Beck could look underneath.

"You see anything?"

He shook his head after a moment. However, moments later, he pointed to the corner of the jet. "That doesn't seem right."

She peered, and nodded, "You're right. It isn't."

She went around the front of the jet to the wing. The lift lowered at her request and now that it was at eye-level, she assessed the damage. It must have gotten clipped during an escape, a brush with a building perhaps. Frowning, she pulled the toolbox from the corner to sit next to her. Beck took its place, just in the corner of her eye she could tell he was watching.

She had long finished the wing and was examining the front when Beck tilted his head upwards. Footsteps echoed and Beck latched onto Paige's arm, stopping her in her work. His gaze, wide and wary, hadn't left the front and his grip on her arm tightened with each moment.

"Beck? Paige?"

She relaxed and touched Beck's arm, "It's alright. He's not going to hurt you."

Tron came around the corner, noticing them.

"I thought I had heard someone out here. How's the jet coming along?"

"It's coming." Paige shrugged, her hand still on Beck's arm as his grip didn't relax.

Tron seemed to notice as well.

"It's alright, Beck. It's just me."

She felt his grip relax just slightly.

"You remember Tron?"

A pause, then a slight nod.

"Good. He won't hurt you. He just came to make sure you and I are alright."

Beck slowly let go of her arm, the spot already having lost all feeling.

Tron nodded at the action. "Come inside, you two. The others will be here soon, I bet."

"Probably. Though if the curfew has already started, then I doubt they will try to risk it right now."

"Perhaps." Tron let them pass, not saying a word for a long moment.

"Hey, Beck. You keep going. Paige and I will join you in a moment."

Beck's glance jumped from Tron to Paige. Paige glanced to see Tron's ghost of a warm grin had faded into something much more solemn. She nodded, and Beck repeated the action before walking on inside as the two stood in the door way.

"Where were you?" She said lowly once Beck was out of earshot.

"You forget you're not the only one searching for a cure, or that he can no longer fulfill his duties as Renegade. The Renegade doesn't suddenly abandon the citizens of Argon."

"So that's what you were doing?"

He gave a nod, "There's something you need to know about Beck's glitch."

She leaned back, her arms crossed, "I'm listening."

"I know what you're thinking right now, since he remembers you and I."

"He's recovering, isn't he?"

Tron gave her a long look. In his eyes, she could see the last time she had that hope, when Beck had been happy, and actually remembered _something_.

Then Tron had to take him away…

"…He's not?"

"Targeting the glitch itself and when it will strike is the issue. He can sometimes remember what he's learned in a cycle for two or three more…other times…"

"So you're saying, he may wake next cycle and not remember _anything_?"

"It's possible. Like I said, it's hard to know when the glitch will act…"

"Fine." She nodded. "I can deal with it."

"Paige…" He sighed, "It's not that easy. When I say anything, I mean _anything_. He won't remember who you or I are, or who he is, or how he should function on the hardest cycles. You've seen how he acts towards programs he doesn't recognize, imagine him reacting like that to every program in the midst of panic. Sometimes it gives him pain, when he tries to search for the memories…"

He broke off as he realized Paige was no longer looking at him.

"I'm doing everything I can to make sure I can prevent these glitches…"

She nodded, biting the inside of her lip.

Finally, she sighed. "Okay. I understand."

Tron didn't know what else he could tell her because his news couldn't provide any comfort to her. So he nodded, and spoke quietly. "I'll go make sure he's alright."

She nodded again as he left. She turned to watch him go. She should have realized…how could she have not? Had she been so naive to think that because he knew her name, he would remember it?

She didn't know anymore.

She looked up to see Beck was waiting at the edge of the walkway, watching her. She gave a small smile before straightening to join him. He may not remember, but that doesn't mean she can't make sure he will be safe.


End file.
